Jonathan

Chapter 1: Jonathan and Gilderoy

Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin (3rd class), and winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award (five consecutive times), stood observing a small, thin 11-year-old boy who stood before him. The boy was dressed in black robes and a school uniform for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The boy was his nephew, Jonathan Lockhart. Gilderoy smiled proudly as he looked the boy up and down to be sure that his expensive tailored robes fit properly. As he looked at the child's young and innocent face, he thought of the boy's mother. "He looks so much like her," he thought with a smile. "She was always there for me, even when things got a little bit hairy." His mind began to wander back 13 years ago to Harry Potter, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and to the biggest mistake he had ever made!

Things had been quite different then. He had been a celebrity! He'd been world famous and then just one spell from a broken wand had taken it all away.

He had decided to become the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts that year. That was mistake number one. He had also decided to run away when things got frightening. That was mistake number two. Last but not least he had decided, after being drug down to the Chamber of Secrets with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, that he would steal Ron's wand and cast a memory charm on them. Thus, he would be able to escape and not have to face any monsters. He could also write quite a good story about how he had been too late to save Ginny Wealsey from the monster, but had managed to save Harry and Ron. That was his greatest mistake of all.

He had taken Ron's wand and cast the spell perfectly. There was only one problem: the wand was broken and hit him instead of Ron and Harry. So in an instant he, Gilderoy Lockhart, the world famous wizard, had been reduced to a confused and harmless fool. He was, naturally, relieved of his position as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and sent to St. Mungo's Hospital.

"St. Mungo's, what an experience that was! Lying in bed, mumbling random things like an idiot, and yet my sister saw past all that. She saw past the blubbering fool and even past the... well...impressive, charismatic,handsome... and rather stupidcelebrity I had been. She saw me for what I was... a liar and a cheat... and somehow she still managed to keep on loving me.

After they had 'rehabilitated' me, as the staff liked to call it, which really meant that they helped me regain my memory and then spent months beating it into my head that it was immoral, wrong, and just generally not nice to write books about events that never happened in order to become famous, they decided to keep me under observation for a while. It was during that time of convalescence that I really came to appreciate her unconditional love for me.

She was so gentle and her voice was always so soft, almost as if coming from a distance. She always treated me like I was a brilliant protégé even though she knew I was a horrible wizard. In fact I'm the next thing to a squib, and yet she always encouraged me. She always told me to keep on trying and someday I would be the great wizard I had always pretended to be. What I always find amazing is that I think she actually believed that I could have really done all those things that I wrote about." He looked back at the boy in front of him and smiled proudly. All his shame over his past was erased in an instant as he surveyed the small child before him.

"I remember the day she told me about you," he thought. "Her little face glowing with a light I had never seen before, her little frame swollen with the effort of carrying your tiny body. We were so happy, well we were once your mother peeled my unconscious body off the floor.

A few months later I stood in St. Mungo's once again, only this time I wasn't the patient. This time I was the one that stood by the bed and held her hand. This time it was my hands that caressed her pale brow. It was a long and difficult birth, but after 12 hours, there you were.

Just look at you now! You're eleven years old and off to start your first year at Hogwarts! Your mother would have been so proud of you, as am I," thought Gilderoy Lockhart as he looked down at a young boy. He was now in his mid 40's. His strawberry blonde locks were now tinted with grey at the temples and little creases had begun to form at the corners of his mouth and eyes. Out loud, however, he merely said "It's getting late Jonathan. You'd better get to sleep. You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow. You're off to Hogwarts, wonderful place that," he said winking and patting the boy's shoulder gently.

The boy gazed up at his uncle with nervous eyes. "Do you really think I'll do well at school Uncle Gilderoy?" he asked softly.

"Of course you will. You're a smart lad, always have been. Besides," Gilderoy added, "you're my sister's son. Luna was a brilliant witch and you will be a great wizard!" He patted the young boy's shoulder and smiled.

Jonathan grinned at his uncle. "You smile just like Mum," he said happily. "She has a smile just like yours in the picture on my bedside table," he added.

"Well of course she does," Gilderoy said proudly. "All the Lockharts are blessed with the Lockhart Smile. You don't think just anyone could win the Witch Weekly Most Charming Smile Award five consecutive times do you?"

"Did our relatives win that too?" the boy asked.

"Your grandfather won a smile contest. Your great-grandmother won 6 beauty pageants. We're just a beautiful family." Gilderoy puffed out his chest proudly.

"Did Mum ever win awards for her smile?"

Gilderoy suddenly fell silent. He closed his eyes to picture his sister. She had been a beautiful woman. Her hair had been pale and fell just below her waist. Her eyes were a muted blue and her skin was pale. She almost had a washed out seeming quality to her, and yet she was still radiant. His eyes misted as he thought of her. They had been so close. He couldn't believe she was really gone!

"Yes Jonathan," he said, suddenly snapping back to reality. "Your mother did win several awards during school but not for the things you'd think. Now I think that's enough talk for one night. Besides tomorrow is your big day. You don't want to be too tired. Now off you go."

Jonathan hugged his uncle tightly about the middle and smiled. "Alright. I guess you're right. I hope I'll like school."

"I'm sure you will. Goodnight Jonathan," he said as he bent down and kissed the boy gently on the top of his head.

"Goodnight Uncle."

Jonathan walked down the corridor towards his room. He stopped in front of an oak door with a brass knob. He pushed it open slowly, inhaling deeply as he entered his bedroom. He loved the way it smelled. The room perpetually held the perfume of lilacs because of the tree that grew just outside his window. He smiled as he gazed about him at the beautiful antiques that furnished his room. His bed was a 4-poster made of cherry wood. He had a matching writing desk and wardrobe that had belonged to his mother.

He had often wondered why he didn't own anything belonging to his father. He had his mother's furniture, her picture, and various other keepsakes of the beautiful woman he never knew, but where were the possessions of the mysterious man who was his father. In fact, Jonathan thought suddenly, he didn't know what is father looked like, or even his name.

"I wonder why Uncle never mentions him," Jonathan thought to himself as he walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of powder blue silk pajamas. He changed into them and hung hisblack robes over the back of his desk chair. He crawled into bed and lay there still thinking.

Hereached over and gently picked up the photograph of his mother. "I wish I'd known you," he said softly. "I mean I'm glad that I live with Uncle Gilderoy, but I wish I could have known you and father.

As the boy closed his eyes he remembered his "adventure", as his uncle liked to call it, which was fast approaching with the morning. "I hope that I like Hogwarts," he said softly as he opened his eyes and gazed down at the portrait once more. "It sounds like you and Uncle did. Well goodnight,"he murmured softly as sleep began to overtake him. He kissed the photograph lightly before gently placing it backon his bedside table. Then he turned over in bed and closed his large eyes.